What if your testing laboratory could accelerate in-house flammability screening while keeping capital equipment budgets firmly in check?
For CORE Molding Technologies (NYSE American: CMT), achieving that exact balance was essential. Operating seven manufacturing facilities spanning more than 1.5 million square feet across North America, CORE builds structural components for major transport and utility sectors, including commercial vehicle cab assemblies, electric vehicle battery enclosures, and structural utility vaults.
To support accelerated material development, CORE required a reliable, standard-compliant testing platform to evaluate rubber-modified composites and elastomeric formulations while maintaining disciplined capital allocation.
By partnering with Qualitest and installing our QualiFlame UL94 chamber, CORE brought horizontal and vertical flame screening capabilities directly onto their laboratory bench. Here is how that collaboration delivered immediate testing autonomy, verified compliance, and outstanding capital efficiency.
Balancing Toughness and Flame Retardancy
At CORE, materials engineers continuously develop proprietary composite blends. A primary focus involves introducing elastomeric modifiers and rubber-toughening agents into thermoset and thermoplastic resins to produce shock-absorbing formulations and impact-resistant structural components.
Here is the central dilemma (and anyone working in material formulation knows how tricky this balance can be): components that absorb heavy mechanical shocks need elastomeric tougheners, but rubber-modified matrices readily catch fire. If you load the mixture with heavy fire-suppressing additives, your molded component turns brittle and fractures under everyday mechanical stress.
If you dial back the flame retardant to preserve elasticity, the composite fails standard burn limits. Hitting that sweet spot between mechanical durability and flame resistance demands dozens of formulation iterations every single week.
Electric mobility and industrial enclosure clients do not compromise on electrical fire safety. They mandate definitive proof that materials achieve verified UL 94 ratings before awarding production contracts. For CORE, that reality created clear non-negotiables:
- Rigid Production Deadlines: Vehicle launch schedules operate on tight timelines, and waiting around on test verification risks multi-million-dollar program milestones.
- Continuous Batch Verification: Perfecting a rubber-toughened composite requires testing fresh formulation batches on an almost daily basis.
- Audit-Ready Traceability: Stringent quality frameworks (such as IATF 16949) demand verified flame calibration so third-party auditors cannot question the ratings.
To meet these commitments, CORE prioritized establishing dedicated, standard-compliant flame testing capacity directly within their manufacturing and development infrastructure.
The Selection: Why CORE Chose Qualitest
A publicly traded Tier 1 manufacturing enterprise does not sign off on capital expenditures without exhaustive due diligence. We spent several months in direct technical dialogue with CORE's engineering team, reviewing every component, valve, and sensor.
We built Qualitest around a straightforward principle: laboratory precision should be accessible, dependable, and cost-effective. CORE chose to partner with us based on three clear criteria:
- Our Sensible Capital Value: We delivered verified standard compliance at an accessible price point, enabling them to direct capital budgets toward production facilities in Mexico and the United States.
- Verifiable Engineering Data: We backed up our burner stability, thermal repeatability, and digital gas-flow precision with concrete technical data through months of consultative discussions.
- Complete Turnkey Configurations: We supplied an integrated testing setup with all necessary clamps, gauges, and fixtures included from day one, rather than treating core operating hardware as expensive add-ons.
Operational Impact: Measurable Results
Integrating our QualiFlame UL94 chamber provided CORE with on-demand flammability testing capabilities directly within their manufacturing and development infrastructure. Here is how that capability translated on the ground:
1. Rapid In-House Formulation Screening
Engineering personnel no longer wait on external screening queues. They can compound an experimental rubber-modified composite, mold test bars, perform immediate in-house trial burns to assess preliminary flame resistance, and refine their formulation ratios prior to submitting specimens for formal conditioning cycles.
2. Capital Budget Preservation
By passing on overpriced legacy equipment, CORE adhered to their disciplined financial approach of maximizing returns on invested capital. They secured laboratory-grade precision while conserving capital for heavy production equipment.
3. Full Testing Autonomy
Operating their own testing station gave them the flexibility to evaluate sample plaques on demand, eliminating recurring testing fees and achieving a fast return on their capital investment.
4. Audit-Ready Traceability
Because our instrument adheres strictly to ASTM D5207 thermal calibration requirements, CORE presents transparent, audit-ready flame-retardant metrics during OEM customer reviews with complete confidence.
Technical Overview: QualiFlame UL94 Test Chamber
When we built the QualiFlame UL94 Horizontal / Vertical Flame Chamber, our engineering focus was straightforward: create an uncompromising, repeatable testing environment to evaluate rubber-modified formulations, plastics, and structural composites under strictly controlled thermal conditions.
Burner System and Chamber Architecture
The system is constructed around a draft-free 0.75-cubic-meter interior volume, featuring corrosion-resistant, matte-black walls that provide high visual contrast so operators can track flame behavior clearly without eye strain.
At the center of the chamber is our dual-capability Bunsen burner built to ASTM D5207 specifications, providing both a 50W test flame (20 millimeters in height) and a 500W flame (125 millimeters in height). Fuel supply is monitored by an integrated digital mass flow meter on the methane line, enabling precise manual gas flow adjustment and verified repeatability across test cycles.
Calibration, Automation, and Safety Controls
Reliable testing requires verified calibration. The system integrates a 0.5-millimeter K-type thermocouple with 0.1 degree Celsius resolution, supporting standard ASTM D5207 copper slug thermal confirmation routines and precise flame height gauge alignment.
Because elastomeric and rubber-modified test specimens can soften, sag, or distort during combustion, the chamber features a motorized vertical specimen carriage and an adjustable burner mount that locks securely at 0, 20, and 45 degrees. To maintain operator safety, the chamber includes a thick tempered safety-glass observation door, a remote timing console accurate to 0.1 seconds, and a high-flow top exhaust blower that safely clears combustion gases immediately after test completion.
Standards Compliance Matrix
The QualiFlame UL94 allows testing teams to evaluate materials across every major international fire-safety standard:
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL): UL 94 (Clause 7 for horizontal burn rates; Clauses 8 and 9 for 50W and 500W vertical testing; Clause 11 for thin flexible materials; Clause 12 for foamed polymers)
- ASTM International: ASTM D635, ASTM D3801, ASTM D4804, ASTM D4986, ASTM D5048, and ASTM D5207
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC): IEC 60695-11-10 (Methods A and B), IEC 60695-11-20, and IEC 60707
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO 1210, ISO 9772, and ISO 9773
This wide standard coverage allows testing personnel to evaluate formulations across all official UL 94 classifications, including HB, V-0, V-1, V-2, 5VA, 5VB, VTM-0, VTM-1, VTM-2, HBF, HF-1, and HF-2.
The Qualitest Advantage
We maintain a firm conviction: laboratory-grade measurement accuracy and sensible capital spending must go hand in hand. We built our standing across the global manufacturing community by proving that Tier 1 suppliers do not need to accept inflated brand-name surcharges to achieve dependable, standard-compliant test results.
Whether teams are molding structural vehicle enclosures, compounding rubber-toughened matrices, or manufacturing electrical infrastructure, we support their quality initiatives with an extensive range of testing machinery: flammability chambers, hardness testers, tensile machines, and drop-weight impact frames. Our technical specialists collaborate directly with client teams from initial specification matching through equipment commissioning and ongoing technical support.
Ready to Upgrade Your Flame Testing with Qualitest?
Are tight program validation deadlines putting pressure on your material development schedules? We are ready to assist you in establishing standard-compliant testing directly inside your facility:
- Review the technical specifications of our QualiFlame UL94 Flammability Test Chamber.
- Speak with our application engineering team to discuss your target standards, sample geometry, and laboratory requirements.
- Contact us today to request a competitive quote and discover how our cost-effective testing equipment can support your operational goals.
